March 2nd, 2023, YouGov
Business challenge
The Norwegian Consumer Council wanted to understand daily difficulties and challenges due to pandemic accelerated digitization.
Solution
YouGov helped conduct national surveys and qualitative research to assess the extent of digital exclusion and those aiding with digital tasks.
Results
The Council released its report, sparking a data-informed public debate on digital exclusion, sparking debate and media attention.
Business challenge
The Consumer Council of Norway wanted to understand how the digitization of products and services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic may have affected consumers’ access to products and services. Drastic changes in the way organizations conduct business across all sectors led to the acceleration of digitization.
The Consumer Council wanted to conduct a comprehensive survey of a nationally representative sample to gain insight into how many Norwegians face digital difficulties, what areas they struggle most with, and the everyday challenges they face.
In accordance with Norwegian public procurement regulations, YouGov and other suppliers were invited to submit a proposal.
Solution
Using YouGov Surveys: Serviced, for researcher support, The Consumer Council conducted a nationally representative survey to understand the extent of digital exclusion in Norway, determining how many people had experienced severe issues with buying or paying for goods and services in the past year. Additionally, they investigated how many people have family or social circles they regularly help with digital tasks.
To gain further insight, YouGov was able to re-contact respondents who had previously provided assistance to family members or within their social circles and conducted qualitative research interviews. Moreover, they gained access to the groups experiencing severe digital challenges through their helpers, and further assessed their situation through qualitative interviews.
The findings were presented in a report to the Norwegian Consumer Council, providing an in-depth examination of the extent of digital exclusion seen in Norway, including a demographic and socio-economic analysis of those most affected. The report also explores the most common causes of consumers’ withdrawal from digital services when ordering or paying for goods and services, as well as investigating the sectors and markets where digital services are more difficult to access or purchase.
Results
The Norwegian Consumer Council published the report “Outsiderness in the consumer markets”.
Launching the report in January 2023, the Norwegian Consumer Council triggered a public debate surrounding digital exclusion - one based on facts rather than assumptions. The report garnered significant media attention and sparked conversations among politicians and various organizations. The Consumer Council has also been invited to various follow-up meetings with politicians and public authorities to further discuss the findings.
The UN Resolution regarding consumers’ right to access important goods and services applies regardless of whether the provider is public or commercial. Utilizing the findings of the report, the Norwegian Consumer Council will investigate if certain consumer groups are being discriminated against and what steps that can be taken to assist them.
Client testimonial
“YouGov has been a brilliant partner to us on our mission to understand digital exclusion in Norway. They really got what we were trying to do and suggested the most innovative solutions, pushing us with new ideas and approaches to get to our target groups. Working with YouGov has been an absolute pleasure, they’ve been really helpful and guided us every step of the way.”
- Inger Lise Blyverket, Director of the Norwegian Consumer Council